Selecting Epoxy Floor Paint

Selecting Epoxy Floor Paint

Epoxy floor paint has many advantages over regular floor paints. Two advantages are the fact that epoxy floor paints are more durable and they will not fade as easily as other materials. Epoxy floor paint is also an excellent water-resistant coating that adheres very well to concrete surfaces. The smooth surface of an epoxy floor paint finish also makes clean-up for dirt and oil stains much easier. Epoxy floor paint such as Quikrete epoxy, are often used as garage floor coatings because of their highly durable surface that can withstand heavy foot traffic, dirt, stains, and the weight of a vehicle. Not only does epoxy floor paint protect your flooring, but the shiny colored appearance looks very appealing in a garage, or even inside your home.

The type of epoxy garage floor coating you choose is the most important part of your project. You could do a great job preparing the floor and painting it, but if you use an inferior garage floor coating, the finish could fail and you'll find yourself doing the work all over again. Epoxy floor paint is durable and it will last for a long time on a garage floor or a basement floor. There are a few different types of epoxy floor paints you can choose from. Make the right choice now so your floor lasts for years to come.

Epoxy floor paint (water-based): The most common epoxy floor paint used by homeowners for garage floor painting are the water-based concrete floor coatings. These are usually one-part epoxies and they are usually fairly inexpensive, compared to oil epoxy garage paint, and the clean-up is also much easier. However, the main downside is the water-based epoxy floor paints are not as durable as the solvent version. For the residential do-it-yourselfer, these should hold up for your garage floor painting job, but think about how you're currently using your garage besides parking your vehicle in it. If you have a work shop of machines, where tools and debris are likely to strike the floor, you'll want to select a more durable solvent-based epoxy floor paint.

Epoxy floor paint (oil-based): These are very durable concrete floor coatings, however, they are also toxic. You must wear a respirator and protective gloves and clothing when working with solvent-based epoxy floor paint, or you'll end up with a horrible headache. Painting concrete floors with solvent epoxy floor paint works great at sealing the surface and preventing future cracks from forming. They cost more than water epoxies and most of them are sold as two part epoxies which means they're a little more difficult to work with, but they are a good choice for garage floor painting.

Epoxy Floor Paint (100% solids based): These are the most durable epoxy floor paints sold on the market. You can see these types of epoxy floor paints in showrooms and car dealers because of their durability and overall beauty. You'll get a highly durable finish using these garage floor coatings, but they are also highly toxic and very expensive. You can apply this type of epoxy garage paint yourself, but due to the high cost and safety factors, you might want to hire a professional to do the job safely and professionaly. Most of these garage floor coatings come with a two-part system. If you don't properly mix the material, or mix too much, you could end up wasting a whole batch of it and also a lot of money as a result.

Fast-Drying Epoxy Floor Paint

Quikrete epoxy is sold also as a quick-dry product. Most epoxy floor paint will take 24 hours before it's dry to the touch and another week or more before you can park on it, or even walk on it. If you need to put your garage back together in a short amount of time then you should check out Quikrete epoxy. If Quikrete epoxy is not sold in your store, ask about other quality epoxy floor paint products.